The individual and organizational causes of workplace bullying |
Strict hierarchical order of the organization |
Pressure and victim mentality arising from vertical relationships3 (U) |
Unfair hierarchy5 (C) |
Inefficient organizational system8 (U) |
Imbalance of power8 (U) |
A clear hierarchy according to years of working9 (U) |
Lack of work competency |
Performance that does not meet expectations4 (U) |
Lack of practical skills6 (U) |
Immature interpersonal relationships6 (U) |
Mid-level nurses’ perception of new nurses: Unreliable and lack of work competency9 (U) |
Head nurses’ perception of new nurses: Lack of responsibility and social skills9 (U) |
Senior nurses’ perception of new nurses: A headache of total impasse9 (U) |
New nurses’ perception of themselves: Doing my best, but my work is inexperienced/Difficulty in interpersonal relationships9 (U) |
Lack of competency of nurses working together9 (U) |
Lack of communication |
Not enough information about each other5 (C) |
No opportunity for communication between nurses9 (U) |
Resentment builds up towards subordinate nurses9 (U) |
Dissatisfaction builds up with senior nurses who make me difficult9 (U) |
Lack of familiarity between nurses9 (U) |
High work stress |
Pressure of work4 (U) |
Overwhelming workload6 (U) |
Heavy work stress8 (U) |
Senior nurses’ perception of themselves: A lot of work stress9 (U) |
Mid-level nurses’ perception of themselves: Doing hard work, but the treatment is not good9 (U) |
Increased tension in the clinical field9 (U) |
Not fulfilling the role expected to their positions |
A manager who does not provide protection8 (U) |
Head nurses’ perception of the head of the nursing department: Running policies without principles and lacking consideration9 (U) |
Head nurses’ perception of senior nurses: Frustrated by not playing the role of the senior9 (U) |
Senior nurses’ perception of the head nurse: Focuses only on one’s face and does not understand business practices9 (U) |
Senior nurses’ perception of mid-level nurses: Not following instructions and giving junior nurses a hard time9 (U) |
Mid-level nurses’ perception of the head nurse: Not having influence on the hospital organization and makes us exhausted9 (U) |
Mid-level nurses’ perception of senior nurses: Serve as ‘Boss’ and do everything they ask9 (U) |
New nurses’ perception of the head nurse: Not helpful for ward adaptation9 (U) |
New nurses’ perception of senior nurses: Lack of work competency9 (U) |
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Lack of systematic education programs |
Absence of systematic education program9 (U) |
Embarrassment due to different work guidelines for each senior10†(U) |
Personal characteristics |
Unstable victims8 (U) |
Self-centered perpetrator8 (U) |
Authoritative senior nurse9 (U) |
Obedient and fragile junior nurses9 (U) |
Unconventional novice nurse: The emergence of new nurses with various backgrounds9 (U) |
Entrenched and justified perception |
Introspective and exclusive atmosphere2 (U) |
Lack of awareness of horizontal violence3 (U) |
Repeated and justified violence3 (U) |
Fixed perception8 (U) |
Bystanders in the nurse organization: Silence and appeasement of ward nurses9 (U) |
An atmosphere of endless conflict persists due to organizational silence12 (U) |
Inefficient healthcare system |
Limitations of creating a work environment for a manpower-oriented organization5 (U) |
Lack of necessary nursing staff9 (U) |
Inefficient workforce management9 (U) |
The continuity of work that relies on interlocking like gears9 (U) |
The various types of physical violence and psychological harassment |
Publicly humiliating |
Humiliated in public2 (U) |
Humiliate in public9 (U) |
Feeling shamed by public scolding and verbal abuse10† (U) |
Excessive and emotional reprimand |
Lowered self-esteem with insulting words1† (U) |
Received unfairly excessive reprimands2 (U) |
Verbally and physically abused2† (U) |
Dominating the ward atmosphere3 (U) |
Tae-um3 (U) |
Teaching turned into mistreatment4 (U) |
One-way instruction rather than encouraging communication5 (U) |
Violence disguised as education6 (U) |
Education with emotions9 (U) |
Bursting into anger at repetitive mistakes9 (U) |
Attacking during handover time9 (U) |
Verbal profanity9 (U) |
Even experienced senior nurses also experience Tae-um12 (U) |
Bullying |
Being bullied and manipulated2 (U) |
Bullying3 (U) |
Friendly nurses get together and bully9 (U) |
Alienated from relationships with peers1 (U) |
Inability to escape from a beleaguered situation14† (U) |
Physical violence |
Verbally and physically abused2† (U) |
Physical attack3 (U) |
Physical threat9 (U) |
Experiencing physical violence due to poor job performance amplifies distress10 (U) |
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Unfair and discriminatory work assignment |
Different psychological expectations5 (U) |
One must tolerate unfair treatment towards new nurses10 (U) |
Difficulty due to endless work12 (U) |
A feeling of frustration with a deliberate action12 (U) |
Clash of expectation and loss8 (C) |
Aggresiveness at teaching |
Received intensive attention on poor work competence5 (C) |
Teaching while disrespecting, discriminating, bullying9 (U) |
A bitter experience beginning from the days of a new nurse12 (U) |
Have to accept anything in the name of education13† (U) |
Violence beyond the work hours |
Persistently pressure to resign3 (U) |
Covert violence6 (U) |
Tae-um that continues even in private situations12 (U) |
Being hurt by violence in cyberspace13† (U) |
Belittling and ignoring |
Disrespect5 (C) |
Ignorance of existence8 (U) |
Psychological threat9 (U) |
Not respected12 (U) |
The negative impact of workplace bullying and its effect on the self-growth |
Frustrated not being able to give and receive help |
No support to lean on2 (U) |
Inescapable sense of pressure12 (U) |
Difficulty asking for help12 (U) |
Feelings towards colleagues experiencing conflict12 (U) |
Feeling sorry for not protecting my colleagues13 (U) |
Inability to escape from a beleaguered situation14† (U) |
Decreased self-esteem |
Lowered self-esteem with insulting words1† (U) |
Complicated emotions1 (U) |
Self-deprecation6 (U) |
Feeling shamed by public scolding and verbal abuse10† (U) |
In the midst of normalized violence, the heart gradually diminishes13 (U) |
The mind and body become exhausted |
Freezing in shock and bewilderment2 (U) |
Difficulty suppressing anger2 (U) |
Getting hurt in body and mind3 (U) |
Consequences of action/interaction coping strategies4 (U) |
Pain as much as the weight of life6 (U) |
Depletion of survival energy8 (U) |
Increasing negative energy8 (U) |
Being hurt by preceptor nurses’ emotional education10 (U) |
Difficulty even meeting physiological needs due to heavy workload10 (U) |
Being hurt by violence in cyberspace13† (U) |
The pain is transmitted through my body13 (U) |
Devastated daily life with violence13 (U) |
A heart that is gradually deteriorating while experiencing Tae-um14 (U) |
Pain appears in my body14 (U) |
Alienated |
A wall has been built in the relationship1 (U) |
Being isolated as a dangerous individual5 (C) |
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Demoralizing and fearful working hours |
Become flustered and look around nervously3 (U) |
Teaching that became bullying: Miscommunication4 (U) |
Fear ahead of work hours5 (U) |
Intimidated by the rigid nursing organization culture10 (U) |
Embarrassment due to different work guidelines by each senior10† (U) |
Being excessively mindful of others’ reactions has become a habit12 (U) |
Being nervous throughout work hours due to rampant violence13 (U) |
Doubts about the nursing profession |
To regret4 (U) |
Feeling skeptical about the nursing profession10 (U) |
Recognized as a process for growth |
Doing my part4 (U) |
Giving and receiving needed help5 (U) |
Difficult but helpful process5 (U) |
Learning through difficulties12 (U) |
Inheritance |
The shackles of inheritance4 (U) |
Inherited and embodied6 (U) |
Negatively learned inertia8 (U) |
Realizing the difficulty of escaping from the inherited Tae-um10 (U) |
An unfair situation to take for granted12 (U) |
Conflict continues as usual12 (U) |
Imbued with the situation, followed by violence before knowing it13 (U) |
Active and passive coping efforts in dealing with bullying |
To endure |
Coping passively in the situation1 (U) |
Time solves1 (U) |
Lower one’s body with a defensive stance2 (U) |
Endure or quit3 (U) |
Endure and persevere4 (U) |
Endure due to fear7 (U) |
Being patient to survive8 (U) |
Leave or leave behind incomplete8 (U) |
Accepted as custom9 (U) |
Enduring with patience and trying to forget difficulties through engaging in hobbies10 (U) |
Have to accept anything in the name of education13† (U) |
Taking care of myself with the mindset that I have to be patient and percesevere13 (U) |
Leaving |
Increase in a turnover rate, decrease in work performance, and deterioration of organizational climate6 (U) |
Couldn’t stand and submitted resignation7 (U) |
Transferred to other department7 (U) |
Resigned to work in better work environment10 (U) |
Attempting to avoid the source of pain13 (U) |
Seeking help |
Peer support4 (U) |
Emotional support system8 (U) |
Asked the head nurse for help, but not easily resolved10 (U) |
Finding solace by revealing pain to a meaningful person while silently enduring suffering11 (U) |
Fighting against violence, but not easily resolved13 (U) |
Relying on the colleagues who joined the hospital on the same day, but not a breakthrough14 (U) |
Go to someone who seems to be able to protect me, but it doesn’t work14 (U) |
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Making efforts to improve the relationship |
Efforts to improve relationships and frustrations2 (U) |
Making a personal relationship4 (U) |
To understand each other4 (U) |
Carrying out work beyond capacity to establish relationships5 (U) |
Need to acquire the skills to collaborate on tasks5 (C) |
Experiential learning through reflection on performance5 (U) |
Volunteered for non-nursing work to impress seniors10 (U) |
Striving for progress |
Finding a way4 (U) |
Getting off target4 (U) |
Formation of responsible interest8 (U) |
To reduce mistakes, make personal notes and carry them around to study10 (U) |
A desire to avoid bullying perpetrators coexists with a desire to be respected11 (C) |
Faced severe wounds from violence and stood at a critical juncture, but discovered attachment to the nursing profession and one’s own potential11 (U) |
Looking back on the pain, I try to become the master of my life11 (U) |
Commitment to the future12 (U) |
Devoted oneself to work14 (U) |
Confronting |
Become assertive2 (U) |
Acting out4 (U) |
Taking proactive action8 (U) |
Strategies for preventing bullying incidents |
Active conflict management by managers |
Manager’s role as a protective shield4 (U) |
The head nurse directly manages conflicts between nurses9 (U) |
Head nurses’ suggestion of specific work procedures depending on the situation9 (U) |
The care and communication of the head nurse9 (U) |
Care of junior nurses by senior nurses9 (U) |
Establishment of a systematic education system at the organizational level |
Organization: Operation of a program to strengthen practical skills6 (U) |
Workforce expansion, adaptation acceleration program, organizational culture improvement, public discourse, and relevant institutional establishment6 (U) |
Establishment of systematic education system9 (U) |
Provision of incentives for teaching nurses9 (U) |
Establishment of systems to prevent workplace bullying |
Systematic monitoring and supervision for Tae-um9 (U) |
A leap for problem-solving12 (U) |
Efforts to solve problems in individual positions |
Individuals’ mindset shift and problem-solving efforts6 (U) |
Prevention through self-reflection7 (U) |
Head nurse’s perception of mid-level nurses: A mainstay of the ward despite some dissatisfaction with them9 (U) |
Positive thinking of new nurses and efforts to improve practical skills9 (U) |
Mid-level nurses’ discipline excluding the reflection and emotions9 (U) |